لايَذهَبَنَّ بِكَ الأَمَل

لايَذهَبَنَّ بِكَ الأَمَل

حَتّى تُقَصِّرَ في العَمَل

حَتّى تُقَصِّرَ في العَمَل

Do not let hope carry you away

Let not hope lead you astray

until you fall short in your deeds.

Until you fall short in deed

إِنّي أَرى لَكَ أَن تَكو

إِنّي أَرى لَكَ أَن تَكو

نَ مِنَ الفَناءِ عَلى وَجَل

نَ مِنَ الفَناءِ عَلى وَجَل

Indeed, I think it best for you to

I see you ought to be

be in dread of perishing.

Saved from demise in haste

فَقَدِ استَبانَ الحَقُّ وَاِتَّضَ

فَقَدِ استَبانَ الحَقُّ وَاِتَّضَ

حَ السَبيلُ لِمَن عَقَل

حَ السَبيلُ لِمَن عَقَل

For truth has become plain, and clear

Truth is now lucid and plain

is the path to whoever understands.

The path clear for one of reason

ما لي أَراكَ بِغَيرِ نَفسِ

ما لي أَراكَ بِغَيرِ نَفسِ

كَ لا أَبالَكَ تَشتَغِل

كَ لا أَبالَكَ تَشتَغِل

Why do I see you busy with anything but

What is this I see, not yourself you serve

yourself—may you have no father!

I care not what keeps you preoccupied

خُذ لِلوَفاةِ مِنَ الحَيا

خُذ لِلوَفاةِ مِنَ الحَيا

ةِ بِحَظِّها قَبلَ الأَجَل

ةِ بِحَظِّها قَبلَ الأَجَل

Take for death, from life,

Take from life for the deceased

its due share before your appointed end.

Their share before it's too late

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ المَوتَ لَي

وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ المَوتَ لَي

سَ بِغافِلٍ عَمَّن غَفَل

سَ بِغافِلٍ عَمَّن غَفَل

And know that death is not

Know that death spares no one oblivious

heedless of those who are heedless.

Of those who were oblivious

ما إِن رَأَيتُ الوالِدا

ما إِن رَأَيتُ الوالِدا

تِ يَلِدنَ إِلّا لِلثَكَل

تِ يَلِدنَ إِلّا لِلثَكَل

Never have I seen mothers

Whenever I saw mothers bear children

give birth except to be bereaved.

It was but for bereavement

فَكَأَنَّ يَومَكَ قَد أَتى

فَكَأَنَّ يَومَكَ قَد أَتى

يَسعى إِلَيكَ عَلى عَجَل

يَسعى إِلَيكَ عَلى عَجَل

So it is as though your day has already come,

As if your day has arrived

rushing toward you in haste.

Rushing towards you in haste

وَكَأَنَنَني بِالمَوتِ أَغفَ

وَكَأَنَنَني بِالمَوتِ أَغفَ

لَ ما تَرى بِكَ قَد نَزَل

لَ ما تَرى بِكَ قَد نَزَل

And it is as though I see death, when you least

As if I see death has forgotten you

expect it, already descended upon you.

Unaware of what has befallen you

أَينَ المَرازِبَةُ الجَحا

أَينَ المَرازِبَةُ الجَحا

جِحَةُ البَطارِقَةُ الأُوَلُ

جِحَةُ البَطارِقَةُ الأُوَلُ

Where are the marzbans, the mighty

Where are the lords grand and imposing

chieftains, the patricians of old?

The veterans and the early generations

وَذَو التَفاضُلِ في المَجا

وَذَو التَفاضُلِ في المَجا

لِسِ وَالتَرَفُّلِ في الحُلَل

لِسِ وَالتَرَفُّلِ في الحُلَل

And those of distinction in

Of lavish attire and status

assemblies, strutting in fine robes?

Platforms, councils and retinues

وَذَو المَنابِرِ وَالأَسِرَّ

وَذَو المَنابِرِ وَالأَسِرَّ

ةِ وَالمَحاضِرِ وَالخَوَلِ

ةِ وَالمَحاضِرِ وَالخَوَلِ

And those with pulpits and

Scenes of battle, cunning and tricks

thrones, councils, and servants?

Swept by oceans of affliction, all sunk low

وَذَو المَشاهِدِ في الوَغى

وَذَو المَشاهِدِ في الوَغى

وَذَو المَكايِدِ وَالحِيَل

وَذَو المَكايِدِ وَالحِيَل

And those with exploits in battle,

None survived after their time

and those with stratagems and ruses?

Except tales and lore

سَفَلَت بِهِم لُجَجُ المَنيَّ

سَفَلَت بِهِم لُجَجُ المَنيَّ

ةِ كُلُّهُم فيمَن سَفَل

ةِ كُلُّهُم فيمَن سَفَل

Death's deep waters bore them down,

Rise and mourn yourself while able

all of them among those brought low.

As long as you have time to spare

لَم يَبقَ مِنهُم بَعدَهُم

لَم يَبقَ مِنهُم بَعدَهُم

إِلّا حَديثٌ أَو مَثَل

إِلّا حَديثٌ أَو مَثَل

Nothing remained of them after they were gone

Bear not the burdens of time

except a tale or a proverb.

That cannot be endured

قُم فَاِبكِ نَفسَكَ وَاِرثِها

قُم فَاِبكِ نَفسَكَ وَاِرثِها

ما دُمتَ وَيحَكَ في مَهَل

ما دُمتَ وَيحَكَ في مَهَل

Rise, weep for yourself, and mourn your soul,

Numerous are the afflictions of time

while you still have respite—woe to you!

So beware of such afflictions

لا تَحمِلَنَّ عَلى الزَما

لا تَحمِلَنَّ عَلى الزَما

نِ فَما عَلَيهِ مُحتَمَل

نِ فَما عَلَيهِ مُحتَمَل

Do not lay blame upon

Thanks be to God who remains

time, for it has no burden to bear.

Constant, and always was

عِلَلُ الزَمانِ كَثيرَةٌ

عِلَلُ الزَمانِ كَثيرَةٌ

فَتَوَقَّ مِن تِلكَ العِلَل

فَتَوَقَّ مِن تِلكَ العِلَل

The ills of time are many,

If you are conscious of God

so guard yourself against those ills.

Godliness is the best voluntary act

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي

هُوَ لا يَزالُ وَلَم يَزَل

هُوَ لا يَزالُ وَلَم يَزَل

So praise be to God, who

When a young man is conscious of God

never ceases to be, and has never ceased.

In all he desires, he is perfected

وَإِنِ اِتَّقَيتَ فَإِنَّ تَق

وَإِنِ اِتَّقَيتَ فَإِنَّ تَق

وى اللَهِ مِن خَيرِ النَفَل

وى اللَهِ مِن خَيرِ النَفَل

And if you fear God, then

reverence for God is among the finest gifts.

وَإِذا اِتَّقى اللَهَ الفَتى

وَإِذا اِتَّقى اللَهَ الفَتى

فيما يُريدُ فَقَد كَمَل

فيما يُريدُ فَقَد كَمَل

And when a young man fears God

in what he seeks, he has attained perfection.